Dobrodiyka's Story Corner
Did you know, “ I asked the children the first time I met with them, “that this church is VERY FULL??"
The children looked around curiously. It was just after the Divine Liturgy. Most of the worshippers had already left. A few parents sat nearby, looking on.
Puzzled eyes looked back at me.
“This church is VERY FULL!” I repeated, “It is full of STORIES!”
My young audience broke out into smiles and giggles.
“Look again!” I urged the children, “Can you see the stories? Look everywhere!”
The children stood up and looked all around. We were surrounded by images – holy pictures, frescoes and icons – on the walls, in the stained glass windows, in the dome, on the iconostas.
“Well?” I asked, “Do you see any stories!”
“There's one!” Tania pointed to the stained glass window nearest us. “There's the story of Christmas!”
The children caught on. They pointed to the images that evoked stories already familiar to them: Jesus being baptized; Jesus on the cross; Jesus rising from the dead.
“Those are wonderful stories,” I said, “and there are many many more, right here in this church. I could tell you a new story every week for a whole year, and there would still be more stories to tell!”
